Hair, Identity, and the Lack Thereof
October 2, 2006 by Cory
Filed under Diseases & Conditions
I’m feeling like a little philosophic rambling today, so let’s muse about the way our hair seems to be linked to our sense of identity.
First question: What’s the big deal with hair? Seriously, there’s something about it that I don’t quite get. I’m not saying everyone should shave their head, but I wonder about the vast amounts of time, money, and product spent on hair. What began as the utilitarian need to keep one’s hair out of one’s eyes when running away from dinosaurs, had evolved into the beehive, the flock-of-seagulls, and a million and one other things. Why is hair so important to us?
I suppose one reason is because of it’s prominent placement. If you look at someone, it’s hard not to notice hair. Describe someone, and hair is one of the first characteristics mentioned: “tall, brown eyes; curly brown hair to her shoulders.” That’s certainly true with me.
Seriously, I don’t generally give my hair (or lack thereof) much thought, and never really did. I went through a brief phase in high school where I used gel and such, but that quickly passed with the encouragement of a cute girl. Even now, writing a bald blog, I don’t think too much about it. I use the moniker “Bald Man” here on the net, because… well, I needed a name for my personal blog, and Bald Man Blogging is what came to mind. On the soccer field I’m known by the opposition as “the bald guy,” because… well… I’m the only bald guy on my team. (On Sunday the epithet was a bit more colorful, but that kid is a punk and we won. I’ll cry in my pillow later.)
But there seems to be something different to my self-coined moniker and the way some fuss about their hair. I’m bald by design. It’s just the way things are, so describing myself as bald is an easy way to identify myself. I could be the tall skinny guy, but that could be confusing, since there are other tall, skinny guys in my social circles. Baldness, however, is more unique. I’m the Bald Man, because baldness just happens to be my distinguishing feature.
But, for most, hair is a choice. People choose length, color, cut, style. Some who have it choose to shave it; some who lack it choose to try and regrow it. We dye it, cut it, blow it, curl it, straighten it, muss it, cover it, weave it, braid it, and on and on. Do we do all of this in an effort to make ourselves stand out? If you want attention, changing your hair is certainly one way to get it, and since our hair is so prominent, it’s an easy way to create a distinctive quality that others will notice. I got lucky by being bald: one genetically-imposed distinctive feature coming up! You hairy people have to go to great lengths in order to get what I’ve got.
But does it go deeper? Is there more to hair than providing others with an easy way to identify us? Is our hair somehow rooted in the core of our self-identity? Or are we just made to think so by advertising and celebrity culture?
Good questions (I think). What say you?
As you will see from the photo on my resume page I too am hirsutely challenged. I think it’s only those without hair that worry about why anyone worries about their hair.
I’ve posted a response to your query on my own blog.
Thanks
db
David,
I hadn’t thought of the evolutionary angle. Perhaps the reality is we are nothing more than “bird-brains” with our preening and strutting about. The bald, therefore, are more evolved… or less devolved.
Interesting that you rate a characteristic as something more than identity; I would say a characteristic is subordinate to or perhaps a subset of identity. A change in characteristics, chosen or otherwise, requires (or allows) a change in identification. Hmmm…
Sorry maybe it’s just me but I don’t get all this hype about hair restoration of any kind especially for those middle aged guys. Vanity should have been out grown by now. Personally I think it’s a severe insecurity problem, get that sorted out and everything will fall into place and save you a heck of a lot of anxiety and money.
BALD IS COOL!!
Wow, a new comment on an ancient post. It’s a year ago since I posted, and I am now pretty much down to my last few short cranial hairs, in the meantime, hair levels elsewhere on my body have increased…TMI, I know….
db
Bald is cool.
Some days I am better equipped at dealing with my hair issues than others.
While I am not in danger of losing all of my hair (at least not today)…I have periods of severe envy when I see people with beautiful hair. And at least today, I am comforted by the thought that one day they too will either lose it – or it will turn a nasty colour.
My attitude will probably change tomorrow…and be back to its regular que sera sera voice….but for now – I am going to imagine all of the beautiful hairy people out there with sever hair issues, and not one of them having the confidence to shave their heads, and go really bald.
I need to find an outlet for my bitterness…perhaps I will find some peace in a bowl of ice cream.
Interesting blog, I am actually discovering that a persons culture often directly influences how they perceive and treat their hair. I am under the impression for many people who aren’t black or multiracial, it is just… hair. However, speaking from experience (as a biracial woman), hair has always defined me to the outside world. It’s already enough to be defined by the color of my skin. My choice to wear my hair natural, locked, straightened only leads to more societal judgements. Often black girls grow up deeply humiliated by their hair- it does not embody the American standard of beauty. Beauty equates with silky long hair, so we are brought up with a certain insecurity that we battle growing up. Hair to certain cultures is not about vanity, its much deeper.